A Christmas Faeble
by hbomba
Summary: Lauren wrestles with an important decision while trapped with Bo and Kenzi at Christmas.
1. Chapter 1

Title: A Christmas Faeble  
Authors: hbomba & lonejaguar  
Rating: M  
Summary: Lauren wrestles with an important decision while trapped with Bo and Kenzi at Christmas.

Navigating the stairs was the hardest. Truth be told, the whole exercise of vacating a succubus' bedroom without waking her up was one that required immense strategy, but it was the stairs that always posed the biggest hurdle. It was no secret that the condition of the building wouldn't have passed an inspection even twenty years ago. The plumbing and electrical were shaky at best and the structural integrity of what walls existed was questionable. The stairs were uneven, rickety, and any one of the thirteen steps could make or break her escape. The third, seventh and ninth were the noisiest. If you kept to the left on the eighth and tenth, you could avoid the clacking of the loose tread. Lauren made everything a science. From extracting herself from Bo's embrace, to moving through the bedroom and bathroom, to stepping gingerly down the ancient flight of stairs. Lauren planned, measured and executed each and every moment in her life. Now she found herself lost, without structure or direction and she couldn't figure out if she was happy to be free or not.

She stood in the large lower floor and looked over the empty space. She shivered against the cold. A building with no walls meant a building without insulation after all. Walking over to the couch, she picked up a discarded hoodie and slid her arms through the sleeves. She glanced toward the stairs and listened to the silence. Satisfied she had been successful, Lauren moved to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. It was about 5am, but you couldn't tell from inside these walls. She'd been staying with Bo and Kenzi for a couple of weeks, providing whatever assistance she could give to help them with their cases. Which wasn't much considering her access to the fae labs had gone along with her indefinite contract. Lauren stood in front of the coffee maker and sighed, hooking a finger around the handle of her empty mug.

Everyone always hopes for an extended vacation, a long weekend. Lauren only ever thought of her freedom, a time where she didn't to ask permission to take a walk and then be followed the entire way just to make sure she wasn't planning an escape. It impressed her that they thought of her in that way. But she wasn't one to make a rash decision and take off from her captors, running blindly through streets she wasn't familiar with. She had a plan, of course. Lauren smiled and poured fresh coffee into the mug. She never had a chance to use it, the situation needed never presenting itself without it being too obvious. It didn't matter anymore, anyway.

Taking her coffee to the front door, she pushed through the doors and squinted her eyes at the sun that just barely peeked over the freeway on the other side of the lot. Lauren filled her lungs with cold air and walked down the steps to the Camaro. These early mornings weren't a result of not sleeping well. Ever since her sentence had been lifted and she'd been staying at the clubhouse, she'd never slept better. Whether she attributed that to the stress being lifted, or spending almost all of her time with Bo, she wasn't quite ready to admit.

Lauren leaned against the front of the car and held the cup close to her chest. It was colder than she'd expected and she considered going back inside. Though the ground was bare, she could see a few snow flakes begin to fall. She looked at the sea of concrete and fencing in front of her, the whoosh of cars over the freeway overpasses just starting as the day's commuters tried to beat rush hour. Lauren sipped the coffee, feeling it's warmth against her throat. She should be freed by this, this new-found independence. But instead she came out to the parking lot of an abandoned warehouse to enjoy her morning coffee. She laughed at herself. The truth behind her meditation against an aged muscle car wasn't boredom or aimlessness.

"Hey."

Lauren turned quickly to see Bo descending the stairs, recognizing the t-shirt and sweater from the evening before. Bo's arms wrapped around her body, seemingly keeping the cardigan closed against the gusts of wind.

"Hi." Lauren smiled as Bo leaned against the car next to her. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"I was awake before you left," Bo replied, looking at their feet. "I was just waiting until you made coffee."

Lauren's lips curled into another smile. "Ah." She handed her cup over. Bo sipped the coffee, regarding Lauren carefully, and handed it back.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah." Lauren smiled again. "I'm fine, I'm…great."

"Lauren, you're having coffee in front of broken and rusty industrial equipment and barbed wire. It's hardly scenic."

Lauren looked inside the cup in her hands and back to Bo. Lying had become a too often used tool to stop the questions and it wasn't something she wanted to do anymore. "It's not…" Lauren started and stopped again. She closed her eyes and lowered her head. "I started looking for a place to live," she said, setting the mug down.

Bo frowned and the expression in her eyes was exactly what Lauren was hoping to avoid. "I don't understand," she said. "Is there something wrong?"

"No," Lauren moved the mug further away and turned to face Bo. "No, it's nothing, it's just, I can't keep interfering with you and Kenzi."

"You're not interfering."

Lauren smiled and put her hand on Bo's thigh. "You'd be too kind to say otherwise, Bo."

"I wouldn't!" Bo covered Lauren's hand, her fingers curling underneath. "I'm not that nice, I'd tell you for sure."

"I need a place of my own, Bo." Lauren looked out over the graveyard of machinery beyond the chain link fence. "I've lived under other people's roofs for too long." She watched Bo nod in surrender, glancing at their hands. "We're fine," Lauren said softly. "I need to do this." She pulled at Bo's hand until she leaned forward. Lauren kissed Bo gently, their lips barely touching. It was a promise more than anything. That Lauren wasn't trying to get out or get away, just that she needed her own space after not having any for so long. Bo's fingers pushed carefully into Lauren's hair.

"Seriously." The exclamation from Kenzi broke the women apart. "Can you guys keep your hands off each other for two seconds?" She stomped down the stairs, clad in pajamas and rubber boots. Lauren smirked and looked at the hood of the car, unable to look at Kenzi. "Jesus," Kenzi sighed, shoving Bo's cell phone at her. "It's Dyson, he needs to talk to you."

Bo pushed herself off the hood and took the phone, wandering a few feet away. Lauren could feel the car shift as Kenzi took Bo's place, making sure to jostle it a little more than necessary.

"Morning, Kenzi," Lauren said.

"Try something new last night, Doc? I heard you went into extra innings."

"Hold on a sec," Bo said into her phone before lowering it and swatted at Kenzi. Bo pointed a finger at her.

Lauren stood, then, looking into her coffee cup before walking toward the clubhouse. "Too early, Kenzi."

"Too early?" she called after Lauren. "I'm just getting warmed up." Kenzi threw up her hands.

Lauren retreated to the interior which was scarcely warmer than the outdoors. She refilled her mug and settled onto the couch. She lifted a book from the table and put her feet up. Bo and Kenzi came in noisily, heading for the coffee maker.

"What did Dyson want?" Kenzi asked eagerly.

"Oh, nothing," Bo replied, pouring coffee into the mug Kenzi held out in front of her. "Someone broke into this store on Light Fae territory." She filled her own mug and sipped it carefully. "Wanted to know if we knew anything about it."

Kenzi snatched the remote from the coffee table before depositing herself in the middle of couch, next to Lauren. She brought the television to life, Scooby Doo and the gang filling the clubhouse with noise. Lauren rolled her eyes at the book in her hands and looked up at Bo who waved Kenzi off the couch and into the chair.

"And do you know anything?" Lauren said.

"Nah." Bo flopped onto the cushions. "I'm trying to lay low. It's almost Christmas."

It was two days to Christmas in fact and the clubhouse was decked out with a Charlie Brown Christmas tree that Kenzi and Bo had rescued from a dumpster a few days earlier. There were a few presents beneath the sad, little tree, heavy with ornaments and Garland was strewn around the television.

"Ah, Christmas, nothing but a holiday to stimulate commerce. Bah humbug, I say!"

"Actually," Lauren interjected. "Christmas has a long and storied history. Did you know it was Charles Dickens who is responsible for reviving the spirit of Christmas and portraying Christmas as a holiday emphasizing family, goodwill, and compassion?"

"Good grief, Linus," Kenzi said. "You managed to suck the joy right out of that, Doc."

Bo rolled her eyes at Kenzi and elbowed her. "Anyway," Bo continued. "I just want to chill out for the holidays this year."

"I've been meaning to ask you Bo-Bo, what's shaking for New Year's Eve? Drinks at the Dal? Pub crawl?"

"I, uh-" She looked at Lauren. "I don't know."

"What's the matter?" Kenzi sipped her coffee and peered over her cup at Bo. "Gotta check with mom?"

Bo looked at Lauren and then back at her. "Kenz-"

Kenzi had been needling Lauren for about as long as she had been staying there. She had ignored most of it but some days Lauren found it maddening. Kenzi had become more adversarial once she started noticing that Lauren was taking more of Bo's time. When they were in the same room, Lauren was on edge, an air of competition surrounded them.

"Does the television always have to be on?" Lauren grumped.

Kenzi feigned surprise. "A healthy diet of cartoons and MTV has shown to-"

"Decrease one's IQ?"

"No-" Kenzi defended, "It increases your imagination."

"I bet you couldn't go twenty-four hours without your Scooby fix."

"You're on, Doc." Kenzi stood, pointed the remote at the television dramatically and clicked it off. "Here." She said handing Lauren the remote. "Do what you must. I'll be in my room."

Kenzi disappeared around the corner leaving Lauren holding the remote in the air. She sighed and put it on the table, returning to the book in her lap. It wasn't that she didn't like Kenzi - Kenzi was sharp, fiercely loyal and compassionate - it was the amount of energy needed to interact with her. Lauren still wasn't used to it yet.

"She grows on you." Bo's voice pulled her from the book's pages.

Lauren looked at her and then back to the pages again, staring at random words, hoping for some of them to form an appropriate response. She hummed, classic Lauren. "I know," she added. She closed her eyes, disappointed in herself. "It's just…" Her voice lowered, conscious of Kenzi in the next room. "She's just a bit much, sometimes."

"Tell me about it." Bo took the blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over her legs. It felt like the temperature had dropped from the time they'd walked in a few moments earlier. She rubbed her hands together.

"This is what I mean, Bo." Lauren held the book in one hand, her finger keeping the page as she gestured at the television. She sighed. "I need space, I have to be able to retreat somewhere and relax without inconveniencing anyone."

Bo's expression was stoic, but her eyes were hurt when she nodded and smiled. "I understand." She pulled the blanket off her lap and offered the space next to her. "After Christmas," she said as Lauren scooted closer and leaned into Bo's side. "I'll help you look."

Lauren pulled the rest of the blanket over her legs and opened the book again, happy for the peace and quiet, but not feeling quite as relaxed as she could be. Why wasn't she happier about living on her own again? She fantasized about it constantly, but was suddenly second guessing the long held desire. Truth was, she was a little daunted by all of the changes happening in her life. She had been dependent on a supporting cast of guards and co-workers before she met Bo. Now, Lauren found herself surrounded by drafty walls that probably contained some percentage of asbestos and the warm embrace of a succubus. She wasn't sure if she was settling or if this was an upgrade to the dream she had held.

* * *

"Oh my Gooood." Kenzi stretched her arms over her head as she emerged from her bedroom and shuffled into the kitchen. Bo watched her from a stool at the bar, wine glass in hand. "Is it morning yet?" She sobbed dramatically.

"We can end this now, Kenzi." Lauren placed a tray of muffins on the stove and slid another inside before closing the oven door again.

Kenzi narrowed her eyes. "Hi-larious, Doctor." Lauren smirked and shrugged, taking a sip from her own wine glass. Score one for the doctor. "Booooo," Kenzi whined, her arms dangling uselessly as she shuffled over to her friend. "I'm so bored."

"Kenzi, you've been asleep for ten hours." Bo gestured to the sea of Chinese take-out on the other half of the bar. "You missed dinner."

"Ooh!" Kenzi sorted through the boxes. "Any mooshu?" She picked out a couple and tucked them under her arm.

"See you for Saturday morning cartoons, Kenz." Lauren said from behind her glass.

"Lauren," Kenzi started with a warning tone. She reached over the Chinese food and grabbed a muffin from the pan. She took a bite and her eyes closed, a faint moan escaped her. "If you didn't make… the most delicious muffins and cupcakes I have ever had in my life…" Kenzi pointed at Lauren and spun on her heels, marching back to her bedroom.

* * *

Lauren jerked awake aware of someone standing over her. Her heart pounded in her chest. She blinked and met the four eyes of Kenzi's bunny slippers.

"Whadidya do to the TV, Doc?" Kenzi whispered menacingly.

Lauren groaned and pulled the sheet up to her neck. "Kenzi it's five in the morning."

"Bet's over. I'm missing Frosty the Snowman. I repeat: What did you do to the TV?"

"What? Nothing." Lauren furrowed her brow. Once she looked, Lauren didn't notice any lights in the bedroom. There was always a lamp on in the corner or a light in the bathroom. Not today. "Is the power on?"

"What?" Kenzi tapped her bunny slipper on the floor impatiently, adjusting her ear muffs and blowing into her mittens. "I don't know."

Lauren looked over her shoulder at Bo, who remained asleep despite the cartoon addict's ranting. "Go check." Lauren stuck an arm out from under the sheet and shooed her away.

"What did she want?" Bo grumbled.

"The television isn't working, apparently."

"You didn't…?"

"Why does everybody think that I would do that?" Lauren spoke to the ceiling.

"You can't be nice all the time, Lauren." Bo smiled sleepily.

Kenzi came bounding up the stairs. "They must have figured out that we hard-wired into their grid."

"What?" Lauren asked.

"She means we must have forgotten to pay the bill," Bo clarified, narrowing her eyes at Kenzi.

"Hey Bo-Bo, fancy a snuggle? I'm f-f-freezing out here." Kenzi's teeth chattered. "Scoot over, Doc." Kenzi grabbed the sheet and Lauren gathered it up around herself.

"Uh…" Bo caught the horrified look in Lauren's eye. "You're really not going to want to do that, Kenz."

"Why? Wait." Kenzi gestured wildly. "Are you naked under there?" She scrunched her face. "What is wrong with you? Do you know how cold it is in here?"

"My nipples do," Bo said with a straight face.

"Bo!" Kenzi exclaimed. Lauren pulled the sheet over her head as Kenzi turned and walked to the stairs. "I'm going back to bed… Try to keep it down."

Bo smiled lopsidedly as Kenzi disappeared from sight. Lauren threw her legs over the edge of the bed, her feet landing on the icy-cold wood floor. Grabbing the t-shirt and hoodie within arm's reach, she dressed quickly, eager to retain as much body heat as she could. She pulled on a pair of jeans and thick wool socks and sighed. She looked over at Bo who had forgone her usual kimono for a pair of leggings and a t-shirt. She pulled a sweater around her shoulders.

"This better just be a breaker." Bo walked in front of Lauren and led the way down stairs. She checked the coffee maker on the main floor to find it without power. Grabbing the flashlight from a kitchen drawer, she headed down the other set of stairs to the breaker box in the basement. Lauren shined the flashlight over Bo's shoulder as she tried each switch. Nothing. They trudged back up the stairs and out the front door. Bo was only meaning to look at the highway to see if the lights were out but instead found the reason for the outage.

Three feet of snow blanketed the city and the city was dark. Bo looked for the Camaro, but could only see a large hump in the snow where she usually parked it. They weren't going anywhere anytime soon. The wind blew through her, chilling Bo to her bones.

"Brrr. Let's get inside."

* * *

"Jesus, did someone open a window?" Kenzi walked into the room, pulling the third sweater around her body. "Why is it so cold in here? What's with all the candles?"

"Electricity, Kenzi," Lauren reminded her from the kitchen. "Or did you forget this morning?"

Kenzi held up a hand. "Oh please, I can't unsee that."

"Gimme a hand, Kenz." Bo's voice floated in from the vestibule outside the front door. She handed a few logs of wood to Kenzi who walked them over to the fireplace.

Lauren walked over to the back of the couch, rubbing her arms. "Does that thing even work?"

Bo brushed off her pants and got to her feet. "We had it fixed up last year just in case, but never used it." She started with an old newspaper from the table and started taking it apart, crumpling and twisting the pages.

"If we have no power," Kenzi started, her hands on her hips, "why don't we just go to the Dal?"

"We're snowed in, Kenzi." Bo nestled a few logs on the pile of paper. "We can't go anywhere."

"Are you kidding?" Kenzi disappeared out the door and returned in less than a minute. "Are there no snowplows in this city?" She began to pace to and from the kitchen. "I can't believe we're stuck here. What are we going to do? What are we going to eat? What are we going to drink?"

"Take it easy, Kenzi," Lauren said, watching the drama unfold. "I'm sure this is just temporary, they'll have the power on soon enough. Besides, we have plenty to eat."

"I have to call Dyson." Kenzi picked up her phone and dialed hastily. She tapped her foot. "Dyson? It's Kenzi. I need and evac asap." Kenzi cradled her phone and paced in front of Bo and Lauren. "Uh huh." Kenzi shook her head. "I understand that but can't you call in a favor and get me the hell out of here? I have an appointment at the Dal with a bottle of buckthorne. Please-" Kenzi dropped her arms to her sides and groaned.

"What no airlift?" Lauren deadpanned.

"You," Kenzi strode up to Lauren. "If I could have watched TV last night, we would have known this was coming."

"Kenzi," Bo warned.

"We could have gone to get flashlights and food and… booze."

"You're actually blaming me for this?" Lauren repeated.

"Yes I'm blaming you and your… experiments." Kenzi's arms waved in the air. "I'm freezing my ass off!"

Lauren crossed her arms over her chest. "And I'm not?"

"Oh please," Kenzi rolled her eyes. "I bet rolling around naked with Bo makes it better."

"Kenzi!" Bo barked.

Lauren scoffed and looked to the ceiling for assistance. "You're looking a little green, Kenzi, are you feeling okay?"

Bo's eyes widened. "Lauren!" she admonished.

Kenzi adjusted her earmuffs and stomped up to the doctor. "I'm fine," she snarled. "But even if I wasn't, I wouldn't want you to look after me. I can't afford to over pay you for your services, anyway."

"In that case, maybe we should settle the tab from the last three times I've saved your ass."

"Hey!" Bo yelled. Lauren and Kenzi jumped at the sound and turned to Bo who stood in front of a smoldering fireplace, her hands black from newsprint. "Everybody… just calm down." Bo picked up the fireplace poker and adjusted the logs which had begun to crackle. The fire shimmered against Bo's face. When she was satisfied the fire had enough to go on its own, Bo dropped the poker by the hearth and disappeared up the stairs without another word.


	2. Chapter 2

The flames danced in the fireplace, casting strange shadows on the walls of the clubhouse. A word hadn't been uttered in over an hour. Lauren sat in the chair, her legs tucked under herself and a flannel blanket. She stared into the fire, happy for a little warmth and for the chimney not being set ablaze. Kenzi was curled into the corner of the couch, watching her own form of television in the fireplace. She was the first to speak.

"Think she's ever coming back down?"

Lauren looked over at Kenzi and stared at her for a moment, debating on holding a grudge. She shrugged finally.

"I got an idea."

* * *

She heard Kenzi's boots on the stairs. It was a good ten degrees colder in her bedroom and Bo was lying under a pile of blankets, shivering.

"Bo?" Kenzi clomped into the bedroom. Bo lifted her head and looked at Kenzi who stood beside Lauren.

"Bo, come back downstairs." Lauren asked.

"Why?" Bo said into the covers. "So I can referee?"

"It's too cold up here, Bo," Lauren reasoned. "You'll get sick. Come on." Lauren's hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled.

Bo sat up. "I'd rather freeze to death than listen to you two go at each other."

"In the spirit of Christmas, Lauren and I have decided to call a truce," Kenzi replied. Bo heard a few clicks of a lighter and looked over at the two women. Kenzi held a muffin with a sparkler fizzing away. "Peace muffin?"

* * *

Kenzi and Lauren had been at each other for days and it had taken its toll on Bo. Constantly refereeing their disagreements was neither fun nor sexy and putting one fire out after another was tiresome. Now, lured downstairs with a "peace muffin," Bo was huddled under a blanket on the couch with Lauren. Their breath hung in clouds between them.

"Jesus, it's cold." Lauren said.

"It's not going to get much warmer," she said. "This is the last of the logs."

"What are we going to do?"

"Burn whatever we can find," Bo said simply.

"Eureka! I hit the motherload," Kenzi called from downstairs. A few moments later and she was clomping up the stairs in her Sorels. She dropped a box next to the fireplace and began throwing the contents into it.

Lauren sat up. "Are those books?"

"Looks like it." Kenzi replied, tossing a few more in.

"You can't burn books-" She looked at Bo for help. "She can't burn books."

"Oooh, this one is old," she said crawling under Lauren's skin a bit further.

Lauren stood and rushed toward Kenzi, snatching the book from her hands. She gave it a quick glance and did a double take. "This is a refrigerator manual."

"Yeah, I know. Some people will read anything. " Lauren tossed the manual back into the box. Bo smirked as Lauren rejoined her on the couch and Kenzi returned downstairs to look for more treasures.

The basement was smallish and crammed with boxes and old furniture that had been left before Bo and Kenzi ever set foot in the derelict house. Kenzi wondered why she had never explored the basement's contents before running into a spider web and remembering the last time she was down there. She waved her candle at it. She rummaged in the boxes and found a stash of booze beneath a stack of old newspapers and she gasped in delight.

"Come to mama," Kenzi said, immediately rescuing it from the frigid basement's depths. Kenzi stomped up the stairs and dropped the box next to the couch. "Bo?" Kenzi said quietly. "Can I see you in the basement?" Bo looked to Lauren and then stood to follow Kenzi back to the basement. "Look at this place."

Bo was skeptical as she scanned the room. "What am I looking at? A bunch of old boxes full of crap?" Bo began rifling through the boxes. "Documents from the sixties, reams of old newspapers, and, what's this?" Bo pulled a board game from a box. "Clue."

"Bo-"

"No, this is good." Bo tucked the board game underneath her arm and ascended the stairs again.

"What's that?" Lauren asked as Bo rounded the corner.

"Only the greatest board game known to Milton Bradley." Bo smiled and began to set up the game on the coffee table.

Lauren read the box. "Clue."

"I know what you're thinking." Bo held up her hands.

Lauren smiled politely and shook her head. "I don't think that you do."

"But I have a surefire way to make this fun." Bo leaned backwards and dug into the cardboard box behind her, retrieving a bottle. "Booze." She set the aged brown glass bottle on the coffee table next to the board game.

"Of course." Lauren nodded.

"Kenzi!" Bo called.

A moment later Kenzi was clomping up the stairs again. "I'm coming," Kenzi called back. "Calm your tits."

"Get the shot glasses."

Kenzi retrieved three shot glasses from the kitchen and joined Bo and Lauren on the couch. "This could get interesting."

"Everybody know how to play?"

"Hells yeah." Kenzi and Bo looked at Lauren. "Do you know how to play, Doc?"

"Yes," she sighed, resigned.

"Wrong accusations drink. Now who do you wanna be?"

"Professor Plum," Lauren blurted. Bo and Kenzi turned towards her simultaneously.

"What?" Bo asked.

"Interesting." Kenzi turned back to Bo. "Mrs. Peacock, por favor!"

"And I'll be Miss Scarlet." Bo grinned and shuffled the cards as Kenzi lined up the shot glasses. Pulling the stopper out of the bootlegged bottle, she poured a shot for each of them.

"Something to warm us up," Kenzi said as she passed the shot glasses around. "Bottoms up."

Downed in a gulp, the three women made a face in unison.

"What the hell is this?" Bo touched the back of her hand to her lips and shivered.

"Moonshine," Kenzi said sticking out her tongue and wiping it on her sleeve. She held the bottle in front of her, but the label was long worn away.

"Why would anyone willingly drink this?" Lauren gagged.

"I'm going to win just so I never have to taste that again," Bo snarked.

* * *

"Colonel Mustard in the conservatory with the revolver," Kenzi said proudly. Bo passed Kenzi a card. Kenzi closed her eyes and lifted the card to her face, slowly opening one eye. "Dammit!" She kicked her feet in disgust at the moonshine she was about to ingest. She poured the liquor into her shot glass and threw it back, making another face.

Lauren leaned back and stretched before leaning forward and moving the tokens on the board. "Mrs. White with the lead pipe in the kitchen." Lauren raised her eyebrows, challenging Bo and Kenzi to prove her wrong. "No?" She reached across the board and opened the envelope in the middle. Tossing the cards onto the board she revealed that she was right. "For private investigators, you're both terrible at this game."

Bo filled their glasses again before clinking against Kenzi's and swallowing the liquid fire. "When you're right, you're right." Bo shook it off and licked her lips. Half in the bag didn't quite describe the way Bo felt. She was trashed. The moonshine had warmed her through. The sub-zero temperature no longer seemed a bother.

"I don't feel so good," Kenzi groaned, falling back into the couch.

"I told you moonshine wasn't a good idea," Lauren said casually, putting the board game away.

"You told me I'd go blind, not that I'd get sick."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Because going blind is more acceptable than getting sick."

"It was a chance I was willing to take." Kenzi held her stomach and whimpered.

Bo looked from Kenzi to Lauren and back again. She sunk back into the couch, leaning against Lauren. "So," Bo started. "There… seems to be an imbalance in our inebriation." The slur of her words was as endearing as it was hard to understand.

Lauren hummed her agreement and slid off the couch to tend to the fire. She poked the coals that sparked into the room and cleared the way for more wood. "Someone should make sure this place doesn't burn down." She put the poker down and tossed in what looked like the spindles of a railing.

"Lauren." Bo's voice was low.

When Lauren turned, a warmth spread through her. Bo lay somewhat awkwardly on the couch, her head listing against the back cushion and her hand draped over her hip. Lauren couldn't help but be drawn to the sight. She looked to Kenzi who slumped in the corner of the couch and back again at Bo. Her eyes played tricks on her at night. She knew she'd had a few drinks, but swore she saw the blue flash in Bo's eyes before the curl of her smile. "What is it?" she asked softly.

Bo pushed herself upright without much trouble and leaned forward on her knees. "Have a drink with me."

Lauren chuckled. She always smiled so easily around Bo. "I think you've had enough, haven't you?"

Bo smirked. "Not nearly."

Leaning on one arm, Lauren pointed to the not-so-mystery bottle Kenzi found in the basement. "I am not drinking that."

"Here I thought you'd become more adventurous in your new-found freedom."

"Adventurous, yes," Lauren said, bracing herself on her knee as she pushed herself to her feet. "Reckless, no."

Bo watched her walk to the stairs. "Where are you going?"

Lauren looked over her shoulder before she disappeared into the dark. "I'm getting the bottle of tequila from the bedroom."

* * *

There wasn't much left in the bottle, but she hadn't been this drunk in a long time. By the time she'd returned downstairs with the tequila in hand, Bo had pushed the coffee table aside and laid a pair of mismatched blankets on the floor in front of the fireplace. The intention was obvious; Bo tended to become less complicated when she drank, but wasn't any less charming and the later it got, the colder it felt and the less likely Lauren was to refuse.

"Well the tequila tasted a lot better than the moonshine," Bo slurred.

Lauren leaned back against the couch, her head lulled back, her eyes drifting. She sat up and shuddered. "I still can't believe you drank that."

Kenzi mumbled suddenly, turning into the back of the couch and kicking her feet into Bo's side. Bo grunted and made a face at her friend, who was rapidly taking over her space. With a little effort, Bo reached for the quilt that was balled up on the chair next to them and crawled over to the fireplace. When she reached for the poker, Lauren stood unsteadily and crossed to join her.

"Let me," she said, leaning into Bo. She poked the fire again and took stock of material they had left to burn. There wasn't much and she started to mentally sort through what to use now and what to leave for the morning. There was no telling when the power would come back on to an area that was supposed to be abandoned, after all.

"Stop," Bo whispered and draped the quilt around Lauren's shoulders.

Lauren blinked at her. "What?"

She pulled Lauren back against her and they settled a few feet from the fire. "You worry too much." Lauren frowned at Bo and she smiled. "You're not that mysterious, you know."

Lauren smiled shyly and looked at the floor in front of them. It was true, she tried her utmost to be the enigmatic doctor since starting with the Fae, but the fact was, it just wasn't in her. Her weakness was right in front of them, blown to huge proportions and lit up for all to see. And now she was left staring into the fire, her head fuzzy, but not enough to chase the reality of their earlier conversation away. The quiet loomed between them, disturbed only by the soft snoring from the couch.

"Who would have thought we'd be huddled in front of the fireplace on Christmas Eve?" Bo's voice carried over the crackling fire. She pulled the quilt around them as if she was afraid they'd be separated any minute.

"Seems too good to be true," Lauren agreed. The comment felt forced, but it was the complete truth. Words were failing her. She'd been dependent on them her entire life and now she had the moments she spent months dreaming about, nothing seemed worthy.

Bo picked up on the anxiety, it was such a normalcy for Lauren, and nudged her lightly. "So what do you want for Christmas?" She was quick to add: "And you can't say me."

Lauren chuckled and looked at Bo before staring at the ceiling. "Oh, I don't know… World peace?"

"Oh God," Bo groaned. "Boring."

There was that smile again. Lauren wished everything was that easy. "What about you?" she asked. Bo regarded her carefully and with a gaze that made her shiver, even in front of a blazing fire. Lauren could remember a time when she used to be uncomfortable when she could see the hunger behind Bo's eyes; she felt afraid and insecure. Not anymore.

Bo didn't answer her, instead leaning into her and placing her lips just under Lauren's ear. She knew the answer to the question already, but was compelled to ask anyway and was happy to let Bo explore the length of her neck in response. The alcohol accompanied the fire well and kept the weather at bay as Bo touched Lauren's knee, her fingers trailing a slow pattern to her hip. When Bo's mouth met her shoulder, Lauren sighed and turned toward her, gently lifting her chin.

The kiss they shared was soft but charged with haste and tequila. Lauren's fingers pushed into Bo's hair as she leaned back, pulling Bo with her. Every time they were together, even since her declared freedom, there was an excitement; a fervent passion for each other. And though the passion was still apparent, there was something different at play this time. Lauren's hands slid down Bo's back and underneath the quilt, pulling her hips against her. Their kiss lingered still as her hands found their way under the layers of clothing that Bo had dressed in.

Bo broke the kiss finally and looked down at Lauren, her eyes burning through her. She pulled at the zipper of Lauren's hoodie and Lauren shivered again, despite the combined heat from both their bodies. She arched against Bo's touch as it moved from her throat to her breast and finally her waist. It wasn't until Bo started to pull at the buttons on her jeans that Lauren remembered, in the haze of sex and alcohol, that they weren't alone.

"Wait, Bo," she said softly. Lauren stilled her hand and Bo looked at her with her brow furrowed. "Shouldn't we go upstairs?"

Bo bent forward and touched her lips to what little skin was exposed on Lauren's chest. "Too cold," she said, her words muffled by the skin against her lips.

Before Lauren could react again, her jeans were undone and despite her best intentions, Lauren was having some issue with her mind and body communicating the same message. Bo straightened her back above Lauren, pulling the t-shirt and sweater over her head. Lauren's eyes followed every curve of Bo's body, unable to keep her hands from doing the same. When her gaze finally met Bo's, she swallowed. "What about Kenzi?" she whispered.

Bo paused and looked over at the couch. Kenzi was fast asleep, far gone in her moonshine-induced slumber with one arm draped dramatically over the arm of the couch. Most importantly, her back was facing them. Bo looked at Lauren with a smirk and leaned down, her lips touching her ear. "So don't make any noise."

Lauren's quiet laugh was cut short when Bo's fingers dipped beneath the denim and for a moment, she thought her voice had disappeared altogether. Her hands held fistfuls of quilt as Bo began to move. The rhythm was slow and deliberate and felt like a challenge. Lauren always liked a challenge. With a soft hum, she lifted her hands and pulled Bo down to meet her in another kiss, this one just as calculated as the movement between her legs. Bo faltered a moment later, unprepared for its intensity. Lauren took the opportunity to reach between them and push the hem of Bo's leggings over her hip far enough to slide her hand underneath. A groan escaped Bo's throat and Lauren couldn't help the grin as she hushed her.

Kenzi's presence remained in the back of her mind, but Lauren was surprised that it didn't deter her from staying the course. She knew what this moment meant to Bo. And she knew Bo needed to know that even if they lived apart, it didn't mean they would never see each other again. So when Lauren moved against her, she tried to respond to each doubt Bo expressed with every touch; to let her know that she couldn't imagine her life without her.

The breath against Lauren's ear was steady, but not calm. She felt Bo's lips on her neck and the pressure increase between her legs and any thought processes were effectively abandoned when Bo's mouth reached her throat. She was lost again. Everything but the weight of Bo's body to the smooth glide of her tongue disappeared into air like the sparks from the fireplace. It felt like they could have been anywhere. They weren't though, and the reminder of their slumbering audience brought Lauren back to Earth.

"Bo…" she whispered, her eyes closed in deep concentration.

Bo lips teased her ear. "Shh," she said softly.

Lauren shook her head, so very close to waking the entire neighborhood. "I can't…" She grabbed the strap of Bo's bra and pulled her from the claim she'd staked at her throat. Bo welcomed the direction and covered Lauren's mouth with her own, kissing her with a level of careful possession. Moments later, Lauren was threading her fingers into Bo's hair and crushing their lips together as she came. The kiss deepened and Bo followed soon after, tearing herself away to bury her face in Lauren's shoulder.

Neither woman moved for several moments, their chests heaving to the light of the fire. Bo rested her forehead against Lauren's and kissed her again. "I wish you didn't have to go," she said against her lips.

Lauren pulled the quilt the rest of the way over their bodies and waited for Bo to settle against her. She didn't have a response. The war inside her raged, even after such an experience. It only made it harder. Lauren hummed as Bo draped an arm over her body and before she knew it, she was alone with her thoughts again.


	3. Chapter 3

Bo was roused by Kenzi futzing in the kitchen. She was not as quiet as she attempted to be, if that was even a concern of hers. Her boots thumped on the floor as she dragged her feet towards the couch again and she looked over to find Bo awake.

"I love Doc's muffins as much as the next girl," Kenzi said through a mouthful of muffin, "but I might not want to eat another one for the rest of my life after this blackout is over."

"Be glad we have anything to eat at all," Bo defended.

"Settle down, Bozilla. I was merely commenting on the lack of food. Let's face it, cold egg rolls are no breakfast of champions." Kenzi stopped mid-stride. "Hey," She pointed at Bo. "Why is that blanket around your neck?"

"Have you felt how cold it is in here?"

Kenzi covered her mouth. "Jumpin Jesus on a pogo stick! You got naked while I was sleeping ten feet away, didn't you?" Kenzi shook her head. "I can't believe you. Have you no shame, succubus?"

Bo looked at Lauren, still fast asleep. "Shhh!"

Bo pulled her pants up underneath the blanket and snatched the t-shirt beside the hearth. Slipping into the t-shirt, Bo stood. She grabbed a sweater off the back of the couch and whispered "Upstairs." Bo jerked a thumb in the general direction of the stairs for emphasis.

Kenzi rolled her eyes and took another bite of the muffin before following Bo upstairs. Bo lit a match and began to light a few candles in her bedroom when Kenzi stomped in.

"Hold up. Rewind. I respectfully decline your invitation to become friends with benefits."

"Kenzi-"

"Besides, didn't you just have sex?"

"Kenzi!" Bo snapped. "I need you to do something for me."

"I need a foot rub," Kenzi looked at her nails. "What?"

"I'm serious. You need to cool it with Lauren."

"Oh, Bo-Bo. Don't worry about her, she's a big girl. She can take care of herself."

Bo sighed and sat down on the edge of her bed, looking at her hands. "Yeah," she said softly. "Forget it. You won't have to put up with her much longer anyway."

Kenzi slid onto the bed facing Bo and crossed her legs. "What gives, sugar?"

"She's leaving after the holidays."

"What?" Kenzi's confusion was obvious. "I thought things were good? I mean, I know you're a succubus and all, but the frequency of the sex alone…"

"We're not breaking up, Kenz, she just needs her space."

"Space?" Kenzi was indignant. "What space, this place is huge."

"I don't know." Bo shrugged. "I'm trying not to take it personally, but…"

"Say no more, Bo-Bo," Kenzi said, patting her friend's knee. "I have an idea."

* * *

When she came to, her head was pounding. Thank you, tequila, she thought. Lauren reached out for Bo and opened her eyes when she came up with blankets. She squinted, the bright light of day filtering in the boarded up windows. She buttoned her jeans and stood, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders.

She climbed the stairs only to find the upstairs deserted as well. Lauren walked into the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. It was times like these that made her think she could stay. The quiet that filled the clubhouse was so welcoming that Lauren luxuriated in it. She fell back onto the bed and closed her eyes, the parade in her head slowing its course.

It was Christmas. She was hungover and homeless on Christmas. Her mother would be so proud. When she opened her eyes she was faced with a blinking alarm clock. Her eyes grew wide as she sat up and darted back downstairs.

* * *

Lauren stood in front of the oven, peeking in the door before straightening and picking up a rolling pin. With the furnace on, Lauren let the fire smolder; the clubhouse would warm up to its typical chilly self in no time. She could hear clomping up the stairs and braced for impact.

"Am I hallucinating or do you smell something?" Kenzi asked her roommate in the stairwell.

"Maybe all the moonshine messed us up," Bo answered.

"Am I gonna go blind?" Kenzi began to panic when they emerged from the basement. Lauren stood with the coffee pot in hand and an apron cinched tightly around her waist. Kenzi rubbed her eyes. "Am I dreaming?"

"The power's back," Lauren said with a smile. She poured coffee into a trio of mugs.

Kenzi eagerly scooped up the mug and began moaning with pleasure. She hugged her mug. "It's a Christmas miracle!"

"Thanks." Bo took the mug and looked Lauren up and down. The apron she wore and the cookies she baked were vintage Lauren and it made the spark she felt for her burn brighter. As strange as it may seem, Bo found the innocent things that Lauren did alluring. So simple were the little things. So revealing to her character. The methodical process of baking matched her way of being. Everything Lauren did was cast by her methodology. Except for loving Bo. Loving Bo challenged all of her organizational skills. It was a chaotic union of lust and love, one that Lauren found herself embroiled in whenever she was near her. Bo rounded the island and leaned into Lauren. "These look good." She said softly and smiled as she snatched a cookie from the pile and took a bite. "I can't believe you did all this." Bo motioned to the platter of freshly baked cookies and the dough rolled out on the counter. Lauren smiled enigmatically. "Come on, I want to show you something." Bo took her hand and led her down to the basement.

"That's okay, guys. I'll make sure none of these cookies get away," Kenzi called after them.

Halfway down the stairs Bo hit the lights revealing a large room. There were boxes piled at the one end, but other than that it was immaculate. It had been freshly swept and dusted.

"What is this?" Lauren asked.

"Space," Bo said simply. "You said you needed somewhere to get away and Kenzi and I thought you could make this into a lab. Imagine a table with your computer and equipment, a bookcase, maybe even a comfy chair to read in."

Lauren was taken aback. "Bo, I-"

Bo put a hand on Lauren's shoulder. "Don't say anything right away. Hear me out." She took Lauren's hands in her own. "I have never felt so helpless as I have when I'm not with you. You make everything brighter. And the thought of you packing your bags and leaving even when I know I'll get to see you again is… really hard for me. So, I'm asking you: please stay."

"Bo." Lauren cast her eyes downward. "I need some time."

Bo's hopeful expression faded. "Oh," she said, but nodded.

"Let's go upstairs," Lauren said softly, taking Bo's hand and pulling her along behind her.

One look at Bo's face and Lauren's heart sank. She couldn't say yes just yet but she couldn't say no either. She also couldn't ignore the fact that Bo and Kenzi were in the basement for hours cleaning things up for her or that Bo seemed to need her. At the top of the stairs Lauren looked back at Bo. Her brow furrowed in thought or worry. The problem was, this decision was about her. She needed space to recharge, to right herself and staying for Bo might sabotage that. Or, she thought, it might be just what she needed.

As they passed through the door onto the main floor, Bo pulled away from her and walked toward the couch where Kenzi was curled up reading a romance novel and sipping her coffee. She sighed.

Kenzi looked over the back of the couch at Lauren who was taking yet another tray of cookies from the oven. "Trouble in paradise?" she whispered.

Bo picked up an empty wine glass and turned it over in her hands. "She has to think about it."

"What's to think about?" Kenzi watched Lauren mix food coloring into icing and filled a piping bag. She began to decorate the cooled cookies unaware of Bo and Kenzi's conversation. "Did you mention Batman? Because that would totally sell it for me."

"I thought I would have been enough."

Kenzi sunk into the corner of the couch, sympathetic to her best friend. "Oh Bo-Bo, nobody likes a sad sack. I'm sure the Doc just wants to be sure about whatever she decides."

"I know," Bo sighed again.

"Then buck up, baby." Kenzi slapped her thigh. "I'm sure you can think of something to get her to stay."

"I think I've exhausted my playbook, Kenz."

"In the words of 80's pop geniuses Crowded House, don't dream it's over, Bobalicious."

* * *

As she folded the food coloring into the icing, she watched as the color bled through the smooth white confection. Lauren found herself lost in thought. She had imagined herself in Bo's bed, her home many times when she was ward of The Ash. Sometimes she even let herself believe that the fantasy could come true but she remained guarded. So when Bo insisted that she come live with her and Kenzi, Lauren eagerly obliged with the caveat that it might not work out. And for the first few days it was bliss. She was free, she was with Bo, everything was as it should be. But the honeymoon period was over far too soon as she found herself locked into the battle with Kenzi, whose little frame was good camouflage for her big mouth. But Lauren didn't hold it against her. If Lauren had Bo all to herself and Kenzi had barged into their lives she was positive she would act much the same. Minus the smart-ass delivery Kenzi was so famous for.

But now there was a Christmas truce. And the peace that they all had found as Lauren and Kenzi put down their barbs was refreshing. It made Lauren think that this could really work. That she could have a secret lab in the basement to hide away in and still climb the stairs to Bo's bed when she grew weary. It sounded too good to be true. But what happens when the truce ends? Was it back to migraine headaches and cat and mouse verbal spats? And what of Bo in all of this? Refereeing all the time takes its toll too.

Maybe she was just fabricating obstacles. Maybe she was scared as hell. Maybe, she thought, giving herself over to Bo was the best and worst thing she had ever done. She didn't see herself as a needy mate but in Bo's arms she was always wanting more. She didn't want to need her. She wanted to be the strong doctor who, against all odds, survived a term of as a human slave. But maybe it was these labels that were holding her back now. Maybe she had simply fallen in love and the fact that Bo was a succubus was just a detail. Like, Lauren was a doctor. It was a part of their being but not what defined them. Not anymore.

Lauren looked down at the cookies she had been piping icing onto and sighed. Her compulsion for baking was unmatched. She loved refining recipes, each time making the final product better and better until it was perfect. She looked at the snowmen, stockings and stars on the platter and was critical of her work. Distracted, jagged lines outlined the cookies, not enough for someone to notice, just Lauren.

She looked up expecting to see Kenzi and Bo giggling on the couch but instead only found Kenzi reading a book. She carried the platter of cookies toward the couch. "Cookies?" Lauren set the platter of decorated cookies on the table in front of Kenzi.

Kenzi grabbed one from the top of the pile and shoved it in her mouth. "Oh, wow, Doc. These are fabu," she said around the crumbling cookie. "Who's going to bake for us when you go?"

Lauren smiled. "I've decided to stay."

"Really?" Surprisingly, Kenzi didn't sound terribly disappointed and for that, Lauren was grateful.

The bottom stair creaked. Lauren and Kenzi turned their heads to find Bo standing there. "What's going on?" Bo asked.

Lauren's mouth opened, but words failed her again. She didn't know why it took her to this point to realize, that she didn't want to leave. It was obvious she'd miss Bo, the warmth of her body as they lay, her pressed against her back. She'd miss the drafty bedroom, the rickety stairs and yes, maybe even Kenzi's cartoons. Lauren walked to where Bo stood and reached out for her face. Cupping her jaw she drew Bo in for a kiss. Bo held Lauren tightly against her and kissed her back.

Kenzi raised her arms, cookie crumbs falling to the floor. "And the succubus gets the girl!" she cheered at the fireplace.

When they pulled apart, Bo searched Lauren's face, her breath taken. "I hope that wasn't a goodbye kiss."

Lauren smiled shyly. "Not a goodbye kiss," she whispered. The smile that crossed Bo's face was worth every agonizing moment of the past two days. Lauren led Bo back to the couch.

Kenzi set the book she was reading in her lap. "So Doc, what d'ya think of your Batcave?"

"Very thoughtful," she said, sitting next to Bo. "Thank you."

"No probs," Kenzi said, tucking her feet under herself. She grabbed another cookie. "So ladies, since we still have nowhere to go tonight… Another round of Moonshine Clue? I think I saw Monopoly downstairs."

"Oh God, Kenz," Bo groaned, covering her eyes and Lauren shook her head.

Kenzi pouted. "Look, I know you guys can just go at it, but I need some entertainment here."

Lauren reached for the remote on the coffee table and leaned over Bo to hand it to Kenzi. "Please, watch TV," she pleaded. Kenzi gasped, pushing buttons and bringing the television back to life. Another cookie disappeared into her mouth as she surfed gleefully. Lauren smiled. "Merry Christmas, Kenzi."

* * *

Fin.


End file.
